watch now! detail...
[ slow piano music plays ] hoover:let me tell you something. the sclc has directcommunist ties. even great men can be corrupted,can't they? communism is nota political party. it is a disease. it corrupts the soul,turning even the gentlest of men into vicious, evil tyrants. morning, miss gandy.
what we are seeingis a pervasive contempt for law and order. crime rates are soaring. there's widespread,open defiance of our authority, and, mark my words,if this goes unchecked, it will once againplunge our nation into the depths of anarchy. it all starts out peacefully,doesn't it, mr. irwin? you're gonna have to livewith the fact that you could
have helped prevent the bombingsa-and-and the violence. i'm more interested in what thissays about you and your fbi. i have workedtoo long and hard to just sit back and watch the,the bad guys capture the spotlight again,haven't i? you know the funny thingabout notoriety, especially the kindthat needs adoration, fame for fame's sake? if unchecked, it inevitablyleads to villainy.
i suggest you look at whatthis squabble is really about before you destroythe reputation of the thing we both knowyou love most. [ intercom buzzes ] miss gandy: sir, the writer'shere from crime records, the pr department. set him up with a typewriterin my outer office. miss gandy,it's time this generation learn my sideof the story.
right away. thank you. hoover: in 1919, agent smith, my first boss here at the department of justice was attorney general a. mitchell palmer. he was a quaker. he didn't believe in war, but he understood the necessity of strength and resolve. believe what you will from historians,
most write from a present perspective, forgetting context. mitchell palmer was a hero. [ sighs ] [ clatter ] [ screams ] [ groaning ] [ glass shattering ] are you all right?are you all right?
[ sobbing ]yes. yes. [ girl screaming in distance ] [ girl sobbing ] [ sobbing ] come on.it's all right. come on. it's all right,it's all right. no, it's okay. are you okay?it's okay.
are you okay? [ glass crunching ] [ wood snaps ] [ siren wailing in distance,dog barking ] you see, palmer fought the radicals, just as i have. and just as i have, he was targeted. he wasn't alone. across the country that night, eight bombs exploded, all at 11:00 p.m.
two united states senators, four cabinet members, a supreme court justice, john d. rockefeller, j.p. morgan, all of them targeted by bolshevik communists. man: yeah,it shook the whole thing. [ indistinct conversations ] watch your step. [ brakes squeak ] it was clear to me
the radical's bomb went off too soon, leaving only his blood in the street. but the inspectors used buckets to clean up the mess instead of collecting it. they discarded his gun instead of preserving its prints. but you see, this wasn't clumsy police work. in those times, it was normal procedure. this may be the end of daysfor this country, dwight. it was 1919, before anyone respected criminal science,
before federal powers, before the fbi. it was that night my eyes were opened. that very night. is he a neighbor,sir? no. he worksin my office. "there will have to be murder. "we will kill because it is necessary. "we will destroy to rid the world of your tyrannical institutions."
smith: you were atattorney general palmer's home that night? hoover: well, let's leave thatto the reader's imagination. you see, it's importantwe give our protagonista bit of mystery. i could alludeto a young man who matchesyour description. the best of both worlds. where did you getyour law degree? george washington.i grew up here.
i had a mom to take care of,so i stayed close. i received an english degreethere also. then i don'tneed to tell you that what determinesa man's legacy is often what isn't seen. what's critical at this momentis that we re-clarify the differencebetween villain and hero. how do you thinkthat compares with today? i'm not sure, sir.i'd like to hear more.
i couldcome back tomorrow. fine. but the,the pages stay here. of course, sir. [ telephone rings ] agent smith. thank you, sir. never a good idea totalk too loud whenyou're in these halls. [ telephone rings,door closes ]
good morning, john. good morning. mr. palmer has askedthat you attend the emergency meetingtoday. miss gladwell,please remember... ...it's mr. hoover. 2:00. don't be too early this time.it's as rude as being tardy. and who is this lovely additionto the secretarial pool?
helen,introduce yourself. oh. pleased to meet you,mr. hoover. i'm helen gandy. pleased to meet you,miss gandy. welcome to the departmentof justice. you can notify mr. palmerthat i will attend. of course. he's always a charmer.
i wouldn't take anythingvery seriously that he says. j-jeremy, i need your help!i need h-help! i need your h-h-help. good evening, mother. edgar. madame marciaheld court this morning. her premonition?i should buy a dress. she says your fatherwill die soon. and when he does,you will rise
to be the most powerful manin the country. your brother'sa good man, edgar, but you will restoreour family to greatness. edgar? edgar?am i boring you? i'm listening, mother.you fired the maid. i told her thatwhen she was through with her work,she could quit. i'm not payingfor her impudence.
the whole negro raceis in open revolt. i could openan investigation. they've gottentoo comfortable. did you hearwhat i said, mother? i said i could openan investigation. say what you mean. mr. palmer called meinto a meeting today. the war against the bolshevikshas begun. he's insisted that i leada new anti-radical division.
did you leap like a dog? i told himthis is perhaps the greatest threatour nation has ever faced and i cannot take the job unless i feel certaini can be effective. well done.but you'll take it. $3,000 a year, mother. i've got to get youall new clothes. you can't looklike that anymore.
i have 40 namesof suspected radicals alreadyin only four hours. i should have 10,000by the end of the month. and i have my own staff,trusted agents. edgar,are you smoking? [ door opens ] doesn't come naturally,mother. listen to the doctor. with this new burden,
your nerves could getthe better of you. you don't want to end uplike your father. go and try one now. you canput your father in his room. i have to get readyfor dinner. [ door closes ] are you abandoning metonight? it's with a typist.she's very organized. is it a date? i think so.i think so.
i'm gonna show hermy old card catalog system at the libraryof congress. romance her. wear a blue tie. you look so handsomein your blue tie. [ mid-tempo piano music plays ] look at the ceiling. it's incredible. i've never been herebefore.
[ indistinct conversation ] i helped organize it. see, every item is assignedits own index card with its owncompletely unique code indicating the title, author,location, and topic. what used to take daysto locate now only takes a matterof minutes. go on. give me an, an authoror a topic. anything. indiscretion.
what era? present day. good. time me. [ chuckles ] almost there. how do you know i didn't meanpolitical indiscretion? well, if you'd like,i can start all over again. this will do. how long did i take?
one minute, 10 seconds. now imagine if every citizenin this country were uniquely identifiableby their own card and number, say, the, the patternon their fingers. imagine how quicklywe could find them if they committeda crime. it's allvery impressive, john. well, would you,would you like to stay here or would you liketo go somewhere else?
it's up to you. mr. hoover. i'm not sure where you thinkthis is headed. right, of course. miss gandy. i know we've only knowneach other a brief time, but i am assured that you wouldmake the finest of companions. your, your strength, your, your character,your, your education.
are you poking funat me? no. no, no, no.no, no, of course not. then please, mr. hoover,stand up. i, i'd appreciate itif you wouldn't share this with any of the other womenin the, in the typing pool. no, of course not. may i ask what, what...what particular flaw you, you, you seemto find in my character? no. we just met.
but i believe that i am a fast and accurate judgeof character. i know we've only gone outthree times, but i don't need morethan that. most people do,but i don't. i see people right offfor what they are. and please, call me edgar.it's what my mother uses. yes? can you keep a secret?
yes. of course.you have my word. i'm not interestedin getting married. my work comes first. hm. then perhaps you wouldconsider a position as my,as my personal secretary. [ laughs ] yes. shall we?
the book. right. after you. i helped organize that library just as i did this bureau. and many said we didn't need either. you see, innovators aren't often celebrated. not at first. miss gandy:oh! [ chuckles ] [ intercom buzzing ]
[ scribbling ] miss gandy! the nitwit kennedy childrang his baby buzzer again. perhaps he'd likea fresh diaper. should i find out whatthe attorney general needs? no, i want the completedtranscripts of the los angelesrecordings. when i receive those,then we'll answer his buzzer. very good.
edgar,agent smith is back. he, uh, has some questionsabout the palmer raids. should i tell him to go? helen, do you like him? i don't have an opinionof him yet. well, i like him.i trust him. i'll set him upin your outer office. no. no, no, no. bring him a desk in here.
hoover: but in 1920, how could iprotect us from anyone? before i moved to this office,we were powerless. [ typewriter clacking ] we had few federal laws,no right to carry firearms, and congress liked it that way. criminals ran free, but there was no lawagainst keeping track of them, so i made a decision on my own. i compiled note cardsand over 5,000 names
and called the one departmentin washington that still held a small pieceof untested power. was that the departmentof labor? the power to deport,sir? but only to deport thosewho checked two boxes. they had tobe foreign citizens and they had to be workingto harm our country. and they cooperatedwith you? of course not.
no one freelyshares power in washington, d.c.,agent smith. you mean to tell me thereis no law under whichyou can issue a warrant for the arrestof an alien when i have certified thathe is subject to deportation? without any evidence,mr. attorney general, no. there existsa due process of law. due process of law? what about the threatto our country?
oh, there might bea threat to our country. might be? fine. there is a threatto our country. but with no proofof a crime, there's no causefor deportation. we'll see about that. you'll be hearingfrom me. i'll pick this up. but one of their heads was a mr. caminetti.
he was weary of our justice department, but he hated one person even more. i am a revolutionistby nature, and, as such,i claim the right to rebel and resist invasionby all means, force included! emma goldman. she was the hero of the radical movement. if i could hand caminetti emma goldman,
he would deport her without a thought. but she was a citizen. would you liketo stop, sir? no. i know it's hardfor you to imagine today, but there was a timewhen the average american feared for their safetyand survival, agent smith. in chicago, a coal strike started by communist labor shut off all the power.
riots followed. and on armistice day in centralia, washington, veterans fresh back from the war were murdered by radicals. the red revolution had arrived on our soil. [ screaming,indistinct shouting ] [ gunshots ] no, no. we can'ttake them down one by one. otherwise,they'll go underground
and we'll have a bombinside every senator's mailbox. we need to havea simultaneous raid, hitting all of themat once. stokes:and who are they? that's what you're hereto find out. now listen,i want a card on every radical personin this country. against the wall, gentlemen,thank you. i want to know who they are,where they're from,
what group they belong to,and what they say. who have alreadycommitted crimes? i could care less whetherthey've committed a crime and more whetherthey intend to. against the wall, gentlemen.thank you. how manyare on our team? only you four for now. i'll have locksinstalled. no, miss gandy. that wouldbring too much attention.
now, nothing is to bealphabetically ordered. i want the cardsto be broken down into subjectsand categories. now, this system should beeasy enough if explained. if not, finding informationshould prove impossible. and trust no one,not even our fellow agents. half of our colleagues are on both sidesof the payroll anyway. the crimes we're investigatingaren't crimes, they're ideas.
well, if your idea -- if your ideais to come into our country and plot the overthrowof our government, then, yes, indeed,that is a crime. mrs. goldman marrieda u.s. citizen. the man she married hasn't visited her oncein prison, yet this man... the man she's lived withsince her wedding day,he visits her nightly. tell me, john,what happens when we raid
this list of yoursand find nothing? no guns, no bombs, just innocent peopledeported. from every cornerof this nation, the american people have urgedthe attorney general to do somethingabout this violence and help return the united statesback to peace and glory. now, i'm happyto send your objections to mr. palmer himselfbut, in the meantime,
you will exposemiss goldman's sham marriage and you will changethat suit of yours. pardon me, john? your suit, sir,your suit. this isn't a saloon. you have some respectfor yourself, but, more importantly, haverespect for this department. miss gandy? [ door opens, closes ]
schell: miss goldman,are you an anarchist? i decline to answer. do you deny that you arean anarchist? do you believe in the overthrow,by force or violence, of the governmentof the united states? i refuse to answer. do you advocatethe assassination of public officials? this alien has refusedto answer any questions
pertaining to the chargescontained in the warrant notwithstanding the factthat every opportunity was afforded her. i recommend deportation. [ flash bulbs popping,spectators gasping ] and just like that, we had our precedent. [ telephone rings,indistinct conversations ] edgar... should i arrange our travel topaterson on valentine's day?
y-yes, of course,miss gandy. i took the train to paterson, new jersey, on february 14th. if i could catch these radicals red-handed, then the labor department would have to put them all on boats back home. so, agents of the bureau, alongside local police, began raiding gathering places of known communist radicals all across this country. these people are armedand violent.
they're prepared to killto avoid capture. hoover:take one. go on. are we allowedto use these, sir? these are giftsfrom me to you. there is no law that prevents usfrom using our own weapons. gentlemen, grab your guns. gentlemen, quickly. [ guns cock ] let's move.
police!this is a raid! [ indistinct shouting ] [ handcuffs clicking ] that's enough! [ groans ] the leaflets matched exactly. we'd solved the bombings. and, in the end, we arrested nearly 4,000 communist radicals
and deported over 500 of them. it was accomplished against great odds and at great personal peril. they foundthe counterfeiting press, five pistols,two automatics. and in trenton,they found gunpowder, copper, brass wire,and batteries. a bomb factory. 120 arrests in detroit,
41 in philadelphia,and 17 here so far. smith: but everyone in thebureau involved in those arrests lost their job, correct?even palmer himself? hoover: some did,and there's the lesson. you see, the bombs stopped,and peace came. the american peoplehad forgotten there ever was a threat. so, when political adversariesattacked palmer for trying to protectthis nation from communism,
our countrymenallowed it to happen. because like today, they've forgotten the bombs,the blood, the fear. but why palmer and not youif you orchestrated the raids? i was 24 years old,agent smith. i was justfollowing orders. i understand, sir. and if we hadn't, you may very well have been borninto a communist state
rather than the countryyou love today. am i right? tolson: edgar? ignore him. i am in a meeting, mr. tolson.i'll be out in a moment. don't forgetabout your appointment with the attorney general,edgar. files are not yet completed,mr. tolson. please go away!
thank you, sir.i apologize. i'll finish this chaptertonight. very well,agent smith. in the academy, do they tellthe story of how i got here? yes, sir.uh, you were called into the newattorney general's office. harlan fiske stone. yes, sir,attorney general stone. he called youinto his office
and he told youto sit down, sir. sir, there are over a dozenvacancies in chicago. and with the robbery ratesrising, it would actuallyprofit the bureau to start filling those vacanciesand start making recoveries. i have cabinets filled withfiles on potential suspects, and with a congressionalhearing, i honestly -- lower the treble, son. youdidn't call this meeting, i did. sit down.
yes, sir. everyone you've workedwith here is gone. and there's a reasonfor that. this bureau is of exceedinglybad odor. would you agree? and, no offense, but you seemto have no social life. no wife, no girlfriend. as far as i can tell,no pals at all. that is accurate, sir.
and you're shamelesslydistracted by this hodgepodgefingerprinting affair. sir, it, it, it,it wouldn't be hodgepodge if we could centralizethe prints here, i assure you. oh, it's a speculative scienceat best. and why do theycall you speed? who calls me that? they all do,behind your back, evidently. w--, i-i, i, i-i g--i gained a reputation
for, for delivering grocerieswhen i was 10 years old. uh, i was the fastestin the neighborhood. it was just a n--, a n--,a nickname. you sure it's notfor the way you talk? perhaps, sir. young man, i want youto be acting director of the bureauof investigation. i will take the job,mr. stone,
but only on certainconditions. what are they? the bureau must be divorcedfrom politics and not be a catchallfor political hacks. recruits must becollege-educated. appointmentsmust be based on merit. promotions will be madeon proven ability. and, well, the bureauwill be responsible only to you, sir,the attorney general.
i wouldn't give you the jobunder any other conditions. that's all. good day. well, th--thank you, sir. i am determined to summarilydismiss from this bureau any employeewhom i find indulging in the use of intoxicants. it is my belief that when a manbecomes a part of this bureau he must so conduct himself, both officiallyand unofficially,
as to eliminateeven the slightest possibility of criticismas to his conduct. and what isyour name, sir? oh, agent williams,sir. pleasure to meet you,agent williams. you, too, sir. and your name? agent caffrey, sir. and what is your assignment,agent caffrey?
i'm headed to kansas city todayto aid in the search for escaped bank robberfrank nash, sir. mm-hm. well, that is dangerouswork and, when you return, you will be rewarded foryour service to our country. you still fancy facial hair,agent stokes? the ladiesappreciate it. hm. and i supposethe ladies' opinions are more importantthan the bureau's? sir.
perhaps you are better suitedfor the police force than the bureauof investigations. i've been with the departmentand the bureau for seven years, edgar. almost as long as you. you were with the old bureauseven years, and that bureauis now gone, sir. and so are you. i quickly dismissed all agents that did not fit my standards:
education, physical fitness, but, above all, loyalty. [ insects chirping ] [ soft music playing ] i've had two made.same cut, different pattern. and two suits for you. they'll be deliveredon friday. thank you, mother. it's platinum,
six diamondsand a star sapphire. it's, it's absolutelybeautiful, mother. i've told the whole neighborhoodabout you. they all know. annie: hm. no, i-i shouldn't, i've beengaining weight, mother. it's solid weight. there's nothing wrongwith solid weight on a man. [ clears throat ]all right. i'm so incredibly proudof you, edgar.
[ gasps ] i'm starting an albumfor you. i'm gonna put everything in it.this is just the beginning. "johnny hoover appointed acting director of the bureauof investigations." can you read that? you proudof your uncle? [ clears throat ] gentlemen.how are you?
...thing that we have. i want to introduce you.come with me. this isn't bad. edgar,good to see you. good to see you,lawrence. i'd like to introduce youto mr. clyde tolson. graduated from george washingtonuniversity tonight with a law degree. hm. congratulations,mr. tolson.
oh, thank you, mr. hoover.i believe you are one of our mostdistinguished alumni. i did, yes, i, um... i do have a degreefrom the school, yes. mm-hm. i was just admiring your suit,mr. tolson. you should take a lessonfrom him, lawrence. it's a custom cut, fromgarfinckel's department store. ah.
do you have a, a card,mr. tolson? i do, yes, of course. here you go. "well-educated,highly recommended, "willing to guaranteefive years service. has a family in new yorkand a new baby." no interview. the family in new yorkor the baby? miss gandy,five years is not enough.
we need men willingto dedicate their lives. how many is thatso far? that's 320 deniedand 21 interviews. did we receive an applicationfrom a mr. tolson? yes, his report stateshe has confidence, poise, his dictionis excellent. but although physicallyfitted for it, might be displeasedwith rugged work. his only interest in the bureauis to gain experience
that would benefita private law practice. and he has no interest in beinghere for any period of time which would render employmentspeculative. he did receive a letterof recommendation from the executive assistantof the secretary of war. oh, that's fantastic,miss gandy. yes. it -- it --it mentions here that mr. tolson showed noparticular interest in women. then again, some ofour best agents excel
because they haveno family encumbrance. yes, you're right.set up an interview. you know what the problem is,miss gandy? these men, they don't,they don't look up to me. of course they do. i don't meanfiguratively. i mean they don'tlook up to me. well, if you could conductthe entire interview from behind your desk insteadof walking about the office,
i could correct that. indeed. miss gandy, suppose i hadprivate information on someone in a positionof power -- harmful information. now, it goesagainst my very nature to destroysuch information, but i don't trust it inthe general files either. could i trust itwith you?
if we were to create a,a confidential file? of course, edgar. thank you, miss gandy. information is power. it protected us from the communists in 1919 and since has been vigilantly collected, organized, and maintained by our fbi. woman: attorney generalkennedy's office. did you always havethis fireplace
or did you have itput in? it was,it was put in. what were you doing withwiretaps in that house? you asked that i pursuethis organized crime element, mr. kennedy, and i did so, sir,with diligence. do you usethe fireplace? rarely. who elsehas heard the recording? i have filed the matter personaland confidential. i'm the only personwith access to it.
mr. hoover, i asked youto pursue a real threat. instead, you've publicly deniedthe existence of organized crime and now this, this grossdisplay of intimidation. mr. attorney general,i was only following orders. we, we bugged the basementof a home in los angeles that was a known gathering placefor lawbreakers. how was i to know thatan east german communist would be down there,having sex with your brother, the presidentof the united states?
do not shootthe messenger, sir. i am, i am hereto protect you both. remember that. what do you wantfrom me? if this informationwere to go public, it would createwidespread distrust in your brother'sleadership capabilities. and above all else, i hold the well-beingof our country paramount.
so, how may i help you,mr. hoover? well, if i am to pursuethe elements that you,you consider a threat, i humbly requestthat you allow me the same power and accessto follow the groups that i seeas an immediate threat. it's not 1920 anymore. you know whostanley levinson is, sir? a lawyer.
a white,communist lawyer organizing at the highestlevels, including the sclc. now,their group is growing. they areentirely self-serving, and their, and their leadershipis openly critical of this department here. did, did you read the memosthat i sent? no, no,i can't say that i have. it says right here,mr. kennedy.
they claim we are... "unable to get convictions in even the worst,most heinous crimes..." and that we have"faltered under the pressure, complexities andresponsibilities of our office," in print. right here in the washington post. you can't beara little criticism? well, it dependson what their aim is. they are gainingconsiderable power.
their prioritiesare singularly focused on their own issues. they are tryingto incite revolt. frankly,they sound more critical of your office than mine. there's a new face to communism,edgar, and this isn't it. communism is a foreign threatnow, not domestic. mr. kennedy,before you were even born [chuckles] i heardthat very same argument
froma mr. mitchell palmer. do you know what it tookto change his mind? a bomb. if he would have satin his rocking chair five more minutesin 1919, we'd have been lucky enoughto find an,an intact index finger. now, i d--,i do not want that to happen to youor your brother, sir.
there's no reason we, we,we both can't get what we want. we can wage a waron two fronts, sir. you understand? you can go now,mr. hoover. please leave the transcriptshere with me. oh, and feel free and sharethem with your brother. oh, and let him know that i have a copy of my ownin safekeeping. [ grunts ]
[ knock on door ] your 4:00 is here, sir. thank you, miss gandy.send him right in, thank you. [ breathing heavily ] please, have a seat,mr. tolson. mr. hoover, thank you so muchfor this opportunity. yes. please. have a seat. there were several problems withyour application, mr. tolson,
not the least of whichis the fact that you did not showthe proper requirement to the bureau,nor, nor the, the, uh, nor the -- nor theproper dedication to, to protectingthe american people and the american way. may i remind youthat this is not a platform to a fatter paycheckin private practice, mr. tolson? is there something the matter,mr. tolson?
no, sir. is exercise a requirementfor all agents, sir? yes. all our agents need tobe in top physical condition. we must outsmart and outmatchthe public enemy at every turn. yes, of course. so, so, uh, what routinedo you do, sir? push-ups, sit-ups,and, and squatting. i see. would you like me to fixthe curtain, mr. hoover?
or, you know what, perhapsi could open a window. i always prefer a little bitof air after exercise. don't you? if it wouldplease you. and, sir, where i may fall shortin terms of rã©sumã©, i apparently far exceed the restin terms of honesty. i didn't lie to getthis appointment, sir. like the rest, yes, i wouldlike to start a privatepractice eventually, but i could bepersuaded otherwise
if the right opportunitieswere to arise. fair enough, mr. tolson. fair enough. [ papers rustling ] [ horn honks ] [ bell dings ] these sleeves seemto be the correct length. all right, sir, i found youtwo tie options. this one is a bit morefashion-forward,
a little bit louder, but i thinkit would complement this suit and cut and fabricperfectly. i think it's a bit too loud,don't you think? too loud? okay, which is whyi found this one, the backup. second option, yes. it's a bit more,it's a bit more directorial, if you will,a little bit more... it's a little bit morereserved, i agree. ...powerful.
reserved, yes. let's keep this as asecond option, please. thank you, clyde. excuse me, miss.thank you. are youmr. john hoover? i am.is there a problem? it seems there'sa mr. john hoover whose credithas gone bad with us. that would appearto be you.
that is not me, sir,on my word. my, my mother calls me edgar,my niece calls me j.e., and i sign john e.,not john. well, sir, if you'rea friend of mr. tolson's, just choose one nameand reapply. all right. thank you very much. what?you don't like it? miss gandy:mr. hoover...
there has been a massacrein kansas city. one of our own? special agent caffrey? gangster:let him have it! by 1930, the communist threat had been beaten back, but the depression had hit and there was a new threat. the bank robber, the car thief, and the kidnapper. but, unfortunately, as with communism, america didn't react with scorn.
they gave the american gangster admiration. hoover: "and the defianceby desperate, armed criminals "of the forces of societyand civilization... "...can no longer be ignored. "bugs moran and al capone top the list of public enemies. "look around you. they could be anywhere. "may i remind you that the bureau of investigation... man: start the show! "...seeks to be your protector.
man #2: yeah,play the movie! "it belongs to you. [ moviegoers booing ] "it is as close to you as your nearest telephone. and with your help..." announcer: warner bros. presents a vitaphone production of "the public enemy." [ applause ] james cagney plays public enemy number one.
why, you. [ laughter ] there you go with that wishing stuff again! maybe you found someone you like better. coming soon to your neighborhood theater. man: fantastic. hoover: that summer,a single crime opened the doorto set things right. do you know what that was,mr. jones?
sorry, sir,what was that? who is the most famous manof the 20th century thus far? joe mccarthy, sir? mr. mccarthywas an opportunist, not a patriot, mr. jones. the most famous?is that you, sir? [ coughs ] well, i supposehis notoriety depends on the fieldthat he is in.
his fieldwas in the clouds. well, thencharles lindbergh, sir. [ siren wailing in distance ] [ telephone ringing ] man:charles lindbergh's baby has been kidnappedfrom his home. uh, s-send officersfrom trenton. i'll, i'll beon the first train. yes, sir.
what is it? charles lindbergh b-- lindbergh's baby'sbeen kidnapped. you've got tofind him, edgar. he has to bebrought home alive. yes, mother. yes, mother, i know. hoover: when we arrived at mr. lindbergh's home that morning in 1932, we began an investigation
that would forever change our bureau. this morning alonewe've heard from thepennsylvania railroad, will rogers, president hoover,governor roosevelt, the customs department,the u.s. mail, and the boy scouts. all of you!get off of that dirt. you're trampling evidence.immediately! get off! there's nothing there.we checked.
no defined footprints.it appears he was wearingfabric on his shoes. well, you don't thinkthe size of the printscould've held some value? how did he get up there?are there marks on thewindow and wall as well? there was a ladder. we found it100 yards away, three pieces. we moved it inside. you moved it? yes, for safekeeping. well, congratulations,mr. schwarzkopf. you have completely contaminatedthe crime scene.
now, if you will, getyour boots off thisproperty. thank you. and what right do you haveto be here, mister, uh... j. edgar hoover, directorof the bureau of investigation. we've been sentby president hoover directly to ensure the investigationis completed successfully. bureau of investigation,yeah. the presidenthas authorized access to all documentsand evidence, sir. mr. hoover,you're free to observe,
but new jersey's notthe president's domain. and whereis mr. lindbergh? i'd like to hear his opinionon the matter. mr. lindbergh'saround back. after you, sir. he's been up all night,as you can imagine. mr. lindbergh himself came down to meet me. he shook my hand and expressed his gratitude and faith in our young bureau.
he fell five feet. who did? the kidnapper,with the child in his arms. that's speculation,mr. hoover. mr. lindbergh, sir,if the ladder had split while the personwas on their way up, it would have collapsed. you see, it wasa miscalculation. it was meant to bearthe weight of a man going up,
but not the weight of a manand child going down, sir. we have other theories. where's the ransom note? and you are touching thatwith your bare hands as well? [ scoffs ] we checked.there are none ofthose finger imprints that you fancy so valuable,mr. hoover. please hand it over,mr. schwarzkopf. that's colonel schwarzkopf. "have $50,000 ready,"spelled r-e-d-y.
"we will inform you where,"spelled w-e-r-e, "to deliver the money,"spelled m-o-n-y. "we warn youfor making anyding public "or for notifythe police. "indication for all lettersare singnature," s-i-n-g, singnature. three holes. i want this letterand the ladder. there's no federaljurisdiction here.
i've showed you whatyou asked for. it'stime for you to go. mr. lindbergh, please,if i may have a moment of your -- mr. hoover,thank you very much. as you can see, we haveeverything under control. thank you, gentlemen. thank you for your time,mr. lindbergh. clyde. [ vehicle door opens ]
clyde, i'm afraidfor his boy. he trusts the local policemore than us. oh, he thinkswe're all fools. he'll go around them,too. he's going to bargainwith the kidnappers. hoover:president hoover called methe morning the child was taken and asked me to dowhatever was in my power to help solve this crime. but do you knowwhat all of the power
of the bureau of investigationmeans without federal laws, without arms, withoutthe ability to make arrests? it means nothing. mr. chairman, i urge passageof the lindbergh law, making kidnappinga federal offense. to immediately deliver allthe fingerprints in this country to my office so thatwe may create a central file. to help arm our agents so thatthey have a fighting chance against the submachine gunsof some of the most dangerous
characters in the historyof american criminality. and i urge you to do thisin the name of little lindy. because if he can be taken,then what child is safe? and if we cannot aidin his safe return, then what use are we? [ man coughs ] [ flash bulbs popping ] [ whisperingindistinctly ] every fingerprint from the local authorities
across the country began flowing in. finally, we had a centralized system. what is it, edgar? the last of the fingerprintscame in from chicago. you know our new presidenthas scheduled a meeting with me, miss gandy? do you know that there are talksof reorganizing the bureau? yes, i've heardsimilar whispers. hm. have you?
miss gandy, do you rememberthat file we created on his wife? mrs. roosevelt? will you make a copy for me,please? [ cheers and applausein distance ] [ cheers and applause continue ] lindbergh hired criminalsto find his son. off the desk now,agent garrison, follow me. he even got an offerfrom al capone
to help paythe ransom money, but, in the end,he employed an eccentric by the name of john condonwho placed a newspaper ad to act as a go-betweenwith the kidnappers. now, was condona criminal, too? he most certainly wasn't an agent of the law,mr. garrison. why are youdoing this? so a mother may haveher baby again.
and you may knowthat the american people are grateful for the honorbestowed upon them by your pluckand daring. and how do we knowthe kidnapper is the same that wrote the lettersthat you have? the symbol, uh, matches the original letter'ssymbol, doesn't it? [ stammers ] what is it,mr. lindbergh?
uh, in a m--, momentof thoughtlessness, i showed the symbolto some other men whohad offered to help, and i'm not sure thatthey were trustworthy. i'm not sure anyone istrustworthy anymore, mr. condon. you should know that i will behaving your letters analyzed to make sure that they arefrom the same author. and while mr. lindbergh placed his faith in hoodlums, we began cultivating the one thing criminals couldn't fight with all the guns in the world.
gentlemen,please leave this room. clear all these tables.all of you, time to go, now. where can we smoke, sir? that's not my concern. makesure it's out of my sight. mr. osborne,tell us what you need. uh, bright lights,a microscope, measuring instruments,magnifying glasses, a, uh, projector. you have the full resourcesof the bureau.
don't be shy, a child's lifedepends on this. okay. paper samples fromevery regional manufacturer. mr. osborne,this is mr. tolson. hi. you will supply mr. osbornewhatever he needs to concludewithout a doubt that these letters camefrom the same author. gentlemen, please.thank you. well, should we tellthe attorney general?
why, so he can say nofor a third time? just post a sign,like this one. what would you like itto say, "keep out"? "the bureau of investigationstechnical laboratory." have it carved in woodand nailed to the wall. if he wants it gone, he'llhave to tear it out himself. it's time we at least haveone thing the bad guys don't. decorating skills? science, clyde.science.
uh, the ink is different, but the handwritingis a match. whoever mr. condonis corresponding with is the person who wrotethe original note. or condon wroteall the notes himself. mr. lindbergh is planning on using condon to deliverthe ransom money. it may havealready happened. call the internalrevenue service.
get themto lindbergh's home. i insist that all those billsbe marked. do you understand? is that all, mr. hoover? i have a 2:30 p.m. classto teach. no, you don't.consider your pay doubled. you work for your country now,mr. osborne. congratulations. hauptmann:[ german accent ] doctor! [ gate hinges squeak ] have you gottedthe money?
i can't bring the moneytill i see the baby. [ dog barking ] i promise youthere's no police. it's too dangerous. [ panting ] that -- stop!stop this now! no one's gonna harm you. if they catch me,they will. no, they only wantthe child.
they'll give me 30 yearsif i'm caught. they could burn me. no. no. i didn't do it.i'm only the messenger. huh. what if the babyis dead? would i burnif the baby is dead? well, w-why would we be meetingif the baby was dead? place another ad in the paperwhen you have the money.
so, if a ransom had to be paid, we needed those bills traced. we brought in the i.r.s., and, for his own good, we had to force his hand. i thought gold noteswere going out ofcirculation, mr. irey. that's our hope. it'll make these billsmore identifiable. i have no need for the money,mr. hoover. i just want my son. this isn't just about your son,mr. lindbergh.
if these kidnappersgo free, then no child in this countrywill be safe. that's why i've assembleda 26-man team, headed by special agentsisk here. and if they find outyou're involved, i may never seemy son again. mr. lindbergh, sir, we willnot pursue a single lead until your child is safein his mother's arms. you have my word, sir.
[ doors sliding ] announcer: the kidnapping of little charles a. lindbergh, jr., was a tragedy, not only to colonel and mrs. lindbergh, but to the nation. his abduction from his hopewell home was a challenge to america. this ladder, the only clue to the kidnapping, was homemade. let the developments in the lindbergh baby case start a new drive to wipe out the stain,
not only of that wanton kidnapping, but of all kidnapping and crimes. hauptmann:hey, doctor! give your word not to openfor six hours. condon: all right. [ thunder rumbles ] i talked himout of $20,000. i'd prefer him happy thansave the money, dr. condon. i don'twant to upset him.
where is the baby? i promised not to open thisfor six hours. you gave your word,i did not. "the boyis on boad nelly. "it is a small boad,28 feet long. "two persons are on the boad.they are innocent. "you'll find the boadbetween horseneck's beach and gay headnear elizabeth island." that's nantucket, right?
garrison:what was in the boat? hoover: there was no boat.lindbergh didn't trust us. he wanted to do things his way.and who can blame him? no one respected usat that time. mr. hoover,we've been calling. tolson: edgar. time to go, agent garrison.right now. the attorney general hasauthorized your wiretaps. very good, miss gandy.
edgar, are you sureabout this? once you do this, edgar,it's done. when i prove myself correct, we will have saved this countryanother radical revolution. history will remember that,clyde. yes, but if you are wrong,history will remember it as an illegal moveover a petty grudge. do you consider our reputationpetty, mr. tolson? no, i --
then order the wires. c-can we at least discuss thisover dinner? after you've orderedthe wires. the director'son his way. [ elevator bell dings ] hoover: hm. security officer:wait, please. driver: harvey'srestaurant, sir? no, to the white house.
[ engine turns over ] hoover: we were in the midst of a great depression and breaths away from history's worst war. we needed more power to protect, but, as with every new president, this bureau's future and my very job was being drawn into question. the president is readyto see you now. all righty.
president roosevelt: come in.have a seat, mr. hoover. it's the same dance each time.they make me wait. they imaginethat i'm sweating, that they're gonna show mewho's boss, and i play along. tolson: thank you. and then did you show himthe transcript? no. he didn't want to read it.that was unique. he wanted meto tell him about it. what,how you came across it?
no, i explained to himup front we never expected to findmrs. roosevelt in the bedroom of a knowncommunist agitator. much less having what soundedlike an, an intimate moment. that i needed his adviceon how to proceed. i wanted to let him knowhe had an ally. before he had a chanceto ask you to resign. exactly. when i was finished, he simplypushed the file aside
as if he was unconcernedwith it. clyde, the president ofthe united states is afraid. what,he's afraid of you? of a potential invasionfrom abroad. we'll have two glassesof your finest champagne. of course, mr. hoover. you're drinking? we're celebrating, clyde,we're celebrating. you know i feel i could trustyou with anything, right?
well,i'd like to think so. the president signed a,a secret order, granting me increased powerof surveillance, secret surveillance ofcommunists and radicals, without warrant. is that legal? sometimes you needto bend the rules a little in order to keepyour country safe, right? and to make surei hadn't heard it wrong,
i clarified this withsecretary of state hull. and he said, and i quote, "you go ahead and investigatethose cocksuckers." vulgar. hm. agreed. clyde... i've been meaningto ask you something. feel free. i need someone who understandswhat's at stake here,
someone who i can trust, an associate directorof the bureau. now, i know you've only beenin your current position for, what,12 months now. oh, uh, y--almost 18 now, sir. y-y-you -- you're missingmy point, clyde. i want you to bemy number-two man. i'm n-not m-muchfor the spotlight, edgar. i need you, clyde.
do you understand?i need you. on one condition. good day or bad, whetherwe agree or disagree, we never miss a lunchor a dinner together. well, i would have itno other way. hey, pull over. only a half a mileto mount rose. can't wait. [ engine shuts off ]
orville! in the end, the child's body was found just within sight of mr. lindbergh's home. hoover:the body was blackened, the left leg missingfrom the knee down. there was a visible fractureon the skull. he'd suffered a violent blowto the head. i told them months ago,mother. he must have fallenon the way down,
with the babyin his arms. we are the sinners,edgar. we tolerated lawlessnessin the land until it grewto diabolical proportions. the baby's bloodis on all our hands, edgar. on your hands, edgar. [ rain falling ] six weeks after the kidnapping, congress passed the lindbergh law,
making kidnapping a federal offense. the right to make arrests followed and the right to bear arms. so, i continued collecting the finest scientific minds in the country. [ mutters ] he claims to be the worldexpert on wood analysis. it's easy to be the expertif you're the only person in the worldwith any interest.
he does also claim thathe can tell as muchfrom a cut of wood as a doctor canfrom an autopsy. he has, um,social difficulties. he is mentally ill,isn't he? he's only as madas you are. sir. this was supposed to be a temporary inconvenience,mr. hoover. if you want your sherlockholmes playing time, isuggest you take -- where do you suggestwe go, sir, where?
i suggest you take your caseto congress. fine, sir. have it your way.i'll just tell the american peoplethat we could not solvethe lindbergh case because we could not affordthe proper laboratories and the attorney generalwouldn't even allow us to usehis smoking lounge. fine. now get your sciencefair project out of here. yes, sir.right away, sir. gentlemen, keep working.
mr. tolson, let's getthe president on the phone. the depravationsof vicious outlaws, roving from state to statelike packs of wolves, amounts to an actualarmed invasion of america. we must outsmartand outwit the criminal, foreign and domestic. they have chemistsbuilding bombs. we need chemiststracing their efforts. we must have the most advancedforce in the world
if we are to havethe safest nation on earth. and, please, gentlemen,let us not for a moment lose sight of our goals:to protect the honest citizen, to teach the criminal that,regardless of his subterfuges, his twisting, his squirmingand slimy wriggling, he cannot escapethe one inexorable rule of law enforcement, thatyou can't get away with it. friendly:thank you, mr. hoover. but your agency is already
one of the most well-fundedin washington, is it not? yes, that is true, sir, but our, our carand bank robbery recoveries totaled $6.5 millionlast year and our budget is only,well, $2 million. unlike other departmentsin washington, we actually run a profit. and we cannot possibly quantify the value of our successeswith the hoodlums
pretty boy floyd,baby face nelson, machine gun kelly, andother hoodlums of that nature. mr. hoover, is it truethat you directly or indirectly spend the bureau'smoney on advertising? we are not permittedto engage in advertising of any kind, sir. no. but you take part,for instance, in the making of radio showsand comic books. i've listened to severalof these g-men programs.
your picture seemsto be shown in conjunction with themquite frequently. we declined emphatically tolend any form of endorsement, had nothing to dowith their production, furnished no advice,technical or, or, or otherwise. well,the very advertisement says that broadcastswere "true reflections, "as containedin the official records, "based on actual casesfrom the files
"of the federal bureauof investigation, saturday night at 8:00." mr. hoover, what areyour exact qualifications for your position of leadershipin this bureau? my qualifications, sir? 19 years withthe department of justice. 19. 12 as director. in all that time, you evermake an arrest yourself? i have made investigations.
i administer several casesat once. well, that's notwhat i asked. the comic books show you witha machine gun, making arrests. is that just fiction? i am responsible for thousandsof arrests, sir. so, you admitit is pure fiction. in fact, it wasn't youwho hunted down and captured john dillingerat all. it was agent purvis.is that correct?
i was in charge of allof those investigations, but, no, sir, i have notpersonally made an arrest. any other questions,gentlemen? friendly:let's bring it to a vote. put those away. [ spectators murmur ] tolson: well,that didn't go well. we spend our livesworking for justice and the thanks we getis a political attack?
what does he expect,crimes to go unsolved? why is he fighting me? i want you to start a file onsenator mckellar immediately. i want four agents on himat all times. i want to knowwhat's in his trash, and i want you to photograph himat every dinner. don't get in the car.you can walk back. edgar, we have lunch.we don't miss lunch, nomatter what. remember? you pulled away from mein there.
you perjured yourself,edgar, and the lie wasan easily provable one. if he had continuedto pursue it, there's no telling how muchworse it could've been. find agent purvis. he is to be demoted immediatelyor, better yet, fired. firing the man whokilled john dillingerwould be a pr disaster. then he is to spend the restof his career behind a desk. and if he'd like to keepthat job, he'd best stayout of the papers. go.
i don't knowwho i can trust anymore. only you. only you, mother. you're, you're all i haveto keep me safe, you understand that? please, mother, let me take youto a doctor. a simple examinationisn't unholy, is it? mother. mother, please.
faith, edgar. faith. don't wiltlike a little flower. be strong. i will. if what congress valued more than wits and brains was muscle, if what they hungered for was an armed american hero, then i was willing to risk my very life
and give them both. move. go. hold it,government agents! [ gun cocks ] [ horse snorts ] the arrest is mine to make! mr. karpis,you are under arrest. mr. hoover himself.
i'm gonna be famous. put the handcuffs on him. [ handcuffs click ] don't move, mr. mahan. blow it down. [ machine-gun fire ] [ explosion ] [ brunette coughing ] mr. brunette,you are under arrest.
alvin karpis saidhe couldn't be taken alive, but we took himwithout firing a shot. and let me tell you,he shook all over. his voice, his hands,and his knees. reporter: and you arrestedharry campbell in toledo and brunette in manhattanas well, mr. hoover? and william mahanin california. but let me clarifywithout a shadow of a doubt, this was a "we" job,not an "i" job.
edgar, look at this.we made the post toasties box. "melvin purvis, the fbi agentthat caught dillinger." write the cereal-maker.let them know -- oh, "junior g-man." hm. tell them they oughta printany further boxes to read "former agent of the fbi." sit down, clyde.i'm gonna read you something. "only eight more days. "funny how even the dearest facewill fade away in time.
"most clearly,i remember your eyes "with a sort ofteasing smile in them, "and the feelingof that soft spot "just northeastof the corner of your mouth against my lips." it's a letterfrom lorena hickok, the white house reporterwith the bad breath, to mrs. roosevelt. no. what are you gonna dowith it?
nothing. i, i accused herof having an affair with a man, and old horse face is havingan affair with mrs. bat breath! [ laughing ] a woman! can you believe it? mm. oh, excuse me,mr. hoover. they'd like to see youin the laboratory. yes, miss gandy. you tell them that i'll be therein one minute. thank you.
we'll get to this later. speaking of horses,clyde, i'm going to del marthis weekend. i was thinking of takinga quick vacation and, well, i thoughtyou'd like to join me. well, i've never beento the horse races, edgar. well, it's wonderful. and between me and you,when i, when i lose my bets, the track,they actually cover the losses.
so, what happensif you win? they still pay. then where's the thrill? in the sun that fallson the stands, the hotel rooms, the service,the restaurants, but, most of all, clyde,it's the company. come with me. i'd love to. fantastic. i'll have miss gandymake all the arrangements.
well, edgar,i can't go now. but maybe in a couple monthsafter i've saved up. it's completely covered,clyde. edgar,i can't let you do that. listen, you've done so muchfor me, for this bureau. consider it a thank you. i don't know that i'd feelcomfortable with that. tell you what, clyde: i'll get a suitewith adjoining rooms
rather than having us stayin a separate room. that'll be savingsenough. deal. what do you have for me,mr. koehler? well, as you can see...[ clears throat ] ...there are several kindsof wood here. pine, birch, fir, and, if you look closely,you will see -- mr. tolson.
that each hasits own internal markings, rings and knots,and its own external markings, as in here from the machineryused to mill the raw timber and these that mark the toolsused to build the ladder. the question is, how does this help us identifythe kidnappers, mr. koehler? i need more money,sir. more money, sir,for what? postage.
i need to write every millon the east coast and see if their bladesmatch these marks. i want a reportfrom each mill and a maptracking all leads. by the time i get backfrom new york, i want something to report,mr. koehler. good day. just like the communist radicals before them, the gangster fell from favor.
now, finally, children dreamed of joining the fbi. brick: on your feet. on your feet. [ telephone rings ] yeah? he's taking his shower. any message? there ain't any shower there,copper. [ flash bulb pops ] man: miss temple! mr. hoover,
i was wondering if you wouldjoin my police force. why, yes, miss temple. if you agree to bean honorary g-woman, and give meone little kiss. i don't know if your wifewould approve, but, you see, miss temple,i still live with my mother. shirley: oh. okay. man:look this way, please! man #2: that's real spiffy.one more!
man #3: nice smile.thank you very much. excuse me, sir.can we get a statement? how'd you likethe picture? this way, please,mr. hoover! after you, mother. [ horn honking ] shouldwe go to the club? after we drop mother offat the hotel. [ mid-tempo jazz music playing ]
i have you at a tablewith anita colby. lela rogersand her daughter ginger have askedif they can join. hoover: as longas it's near the front. miss rogers,pleasure to meet you. this must beyour mother. hello. j. edgar hoover.this is clyde tolson. anita,good to see you again.
the bullet enteredthrough the back of the head and exited through the frontnear his cheek. now, the thing that most peopledon't realize is that there isvery little blood. the heat from the bulletactually seals the wound as it enters, so the crime sceneis far more peaceful than is depictedin your moving pictures. and little lindy.
did you see the childwith your own eyes? those are details thati wouldn't care to disclose with a refined group of womensuch as yourselves. i couldn't bear to makea single one of you shed a tear. but i assure you this,we are on the case. i saw the lindberghs in paris.i hardly recognized them. mm. only justice can bringreason back to their lives. but i might share one,one confidential clue with you, if you swear to secrecy.
[ women chuckle ] the first gold notesfrom the ransom money have surfaced.and can you guess where? tell us.please, mr. hoover. in the bronx,on three occasions. and each oneof the shop owners claim they received themfrom a man with a pointed chinand a german accent. take my word for it,mr. hoover.
all the admirationin the world can't fill the spotwhere love goes. or keep your bed warm. i serve my country,miss colby. the nation's admirationis more than enough for me. but it likely makesfor a cold bed. mr. hoover, would it beout of the question for me to bother youfor a dance? h-h-how do you mean?
well, simply a dance. you do dance,don't you? well, that,that is a skill that, um,i haven't yet mastered. and the night isgetting long, isn't it, mr. tolson?mr. tolson? but there's no timelike the present. it's myfavorite song, come on. m-mr. tolson, i thinkit's time we leave. uh, we havea great deal of work.
w-we have a great deal of worktomorrow an-and i am... i'm just afraid we don't...we don't have time to dance. w-w-we're very busy,aren't we, mr. tolson? and, uh, w-- my, my, my sincere apologies.i -- right now, mr. tolson, at once.thank you very much. good evening. [ chuckles ] oh. good night.
[ both laugh ] i don't... i don't, i don't like to,i don't like to dance, mother. i don't like to da-- edgar,go look in the mirror. talk the waythe doctor taught you to. be my little speedy. i can spit my words outwith, with -- i can spit my words out withprecision, diction, and clarity.
i can sp-- spit my words out with precision, diction,and clarity. i'm a proficient,remarkable lad, capable of remarkable,noble feats. i'm a proficient -- mother. mother,i don't like to dance. i don't like to dancewith anyone, but mostly i don't like to dancewith women. i thinkit's time you knew this.
and i find it humiliating and i refuse to bepublicly humiliated! edgar, stop. do you rememberbarton pincus? yes, mother. he... his fatherwas a watchmaker. he wasten years younger than me and you used to call him...birdy or, or, or daffyor something to that effect.
and do you rememberwhat happened to daffy? after the school custodiandiscovered him in a hoop skirtand flower bonnet? he was made to stand outsidein front of the school wearing the bonnet and skirt as,as punishment. did you ever wonderwhy we called him daffy? for his...odd behavior,i believe. it's short for "daffodil,"edgar. and do you rememberwhat happened
to littledaffodil pincus? he shot himselfsix weeks after. that's right. and i thank god every day that my own sons don't sufferfrom his condition. i'd rather have a dead son,than a daffodil for a son. and now...i'm gonna teach you to dance. [ soft music plays ] [ humming ]
bring this right over here,please. sure, sir. now, when did you getthis shipment? it's a long while back.i'm thinking, uh, november 1931. three monthsbefore the kidnapping. all right. thank you. if the lumberyardis a cash business, then there aren'tany receipts or names. it tells uswhere he was shopping
before he knewwe were looking for him. show me the addresses of where the ransom billshave shown up. agent:it's 456 west third. and 476 west third. and down the streetright here. hoover: we knew who we were looking for. someone who'd done business in this neighborhood for years. someone who was still there.
he was average height,blue eyes. high cheekbonesand a pointy chin. yes, sir, a pointed chinand an accent, like a... a german accent,maybe? a germanwith big cheekbones. am i, uh, going to get himin some kind of trouble? not if he didn't doanything wrong. we're the fbi, son.we're the good guys. it was depositedby walter lyle.
he manages the gas stationup on lexington and 127th. agent: walter lyle? you remember the manthat paid with this bill? yes, i remember him.he bought 89 cents worth of gas. and he paidwith this bill? yes, sir. but i don't know him.i haven't seen him since. he was memorable enough that you would remember himif he came in again? yeah,he was german, i think,
i mean, with an accentand pointed chin. and high cheekbones,right? yeah. i guess i looked at thebill funny, 'cause he assured me he had a hundred morejust like it at home. you had a conversationwith him? no, that was it. thank you, mr. lyle. i wrote downthe license plate number. that's the writing right therealong the edge of the bill.
let's go. miss gandy,get mr. tolson. agent sisk. the new york motor vehiclesbureau describes it as a light blue1930 dodge sedan. the owner is a carpenterwho was born in germany, lives at 1279 east 222nd streetin the bronx. his name isbruno richard hauptmann. on september 19, 1934,
before we could arrest the most wanted man in america, he'd been pulled over by a local cop for a broken tail light. can't believe this. pull over. fbi, put your hands up!put 'em up! is there a problem? get outta the car! bruno hauptmann,you are under arrest
for the kidnapping and murderof charles lindbergh, jr. cuff him, boys. we finally had him. now we had to convict, but unlike trials of the past we now had forensics, expert witnesses, and facts. we need a title,agent garrison. right away, mr. hoover. we are working,miss gandy.
miss gandy:the tape came in. bring itto my private office. that'll be all for now,agent garrison. [ woman sighs ] man: i just have to say, you looked so beautifulsitting across that bar. i saw you watching me. i have to admit i waswatching you for a long time. [ tape fast-forwards ]
[ heavy breathing ] slow down a little bit. all right. let me take this off. yeah. turn around. you got it? [ zipper opens ] [ moaning ] [ moaning ]
miss gandy, i told youi am not to be disturbed. miss gandy: i'm sorry.mr. hoover? yes, it's urgent. i have agent shanklinon the line from dallas. shanklin:my apologies, mr. hoover. i told miss gandyto put me right through. what is it,agent shanklin? sir, the presidenthas been shot. who else knowsabout this?
no one, sir. i thought you should knowbefore the press reports it. thank you,agent shanklin. [ woman moaning ] [ receiver hangs up ] oh, that feels so good. get me robert kennedyimmediately. mr. hoover? mr. kennedy,the president has been shot.
what? mr. hoover? what? [ receiver clicking ] [ bell rings ] announcer: it's frosty mountain in front by a length and a half. that's jazz third by six. slapjacks fourth, final head. popstar morell three quarters. turning for home, frosty mountain in the lead
by a fraction and a length and a half. number five. he's gaining on them. [ crowd cheers ] i'm not sureif i bet on that one. ah, we lost again,clyde. dextro back by a half-length on the rail. dextro now making his move. findlay gives him the whip. oh, there he goes,there he goes, break away!
come on, dextro,come on, dextro! [ brush scrapes, taps ] did you see his shoes? [ chuckles ]desi arnaz? you mean the crocodile ones with the horrible bucklesacross the top? no, i didn't notice themone bit. you'd thinkwith all their money they'd have a little bitof fashion sense,
or at least pay someoneto have it for them. oh, and hisfaux-ginger wife. i swear,when she walked in, i thought a hunterwas gonna pull a rifle on that hat of hers. it was like this,you see, like... [ laughing ] that's right,with the feathers. you know, i care so very muchfor you, clyde. i do. and i love you, edgar.
is everything okay? yes, yes, i'm fine. i'm fine. i've been meaningto ask you something, clyde. anything. what do you think of, ofdorothy lamour, the actress? with rudy vallã©eat the stork club? yes. that's the one. she's a little camp for me,but...
well,i've been thinking of taking her upon a proposal is all. for dinner? no, no, not dinner. we've been to dinnerseveral times now. when? oh, in new york, when i've gone upon the weekends. i suppose what i'm,
what i'm trying to say here,clyde, is, well, i think it may be timefor a mrs. hoover. what, you don't like her?is that it? don't you make a foolof me, edgar. i'm not, clyde, i'm, i'm not making a foolof you. have you, have youbecome physical? yes, we have. what is it, clyde?
do you want me to behalf a person? remain incomplete,is that what you want? is that what i am to you,incompletion?! clyde, pick that glass upimmediately! no, i will not!i have no reason to! i refuse! so, go on, fire me.do it! now! clyde, get a hold of yourself.you're acting like a fool! stop this! clyde! you have no shoes on,for god's sakes!
look at -- no! no, i will not!i won't even listen to you! you will never tell mewhat to do! you just lost that right! stop it! i see right through you! you're a scared, heartless,horrible little man! don't you dare! [ both breathing heavily ]
don't you everdo that again. i won't. cly-- clyde,where are you going? clyde, please! clyde, don't leave me!clyde, please! clyde, i'm sorry! clyde,please don't leave me! clyde,i'm begging you!
i'm begging you, clyde!clyde, please. after all... w-- after all, we haveanother day of races. if you ever mentiona lady friend again, it will be the last timethat you share my company. [ door opens, slams ] love you, clyde. love you.
mr. meterlooks promising. clyde? someone get a doctor. someone get a doctor now!someone get a doctor! clyde, look at me.look at me. someone get a doctornow! help! he'll be able to recovermost of his function, but a stroke like this,
it will limitthe hours he can work, the informationhe can process. are you okay,mr. hoover? yes, i'm fine. i just, i was playing withmy dog in the yard on saturday. perhapsit's dehydration. well, that could do it, but it may be wise to reduceyour work hours as well. at your age,it's important to take leave.
miss gandy, please,give us some privacy. let me tell you,if you ever denigrate me in front of my stafflike that again, i'll have you railroadedout of your profession. do you understand? i-i apologize, sir. tell me something. what do you havefor energy? we have diet medicationswhich tend to give a boost.
so i could lose a few poundsand have more energy as well? wouldn't worry aboutyour weight, sir.it's solid weight. schedule a daily visit. they're giving kingthe nobel prize. the degeneratesand radicals are being lifted upinternationally. it's like it's 1920all over again. don't. when he finds outthat we have this audio tape,
that we know the truthabout his character, he's going to decline the award,clyde, believe me. president johnson... wait. you're gonna have to learnto enunciate. i can't seem tounderstand you. now, the problem is this:we have no legal tools. you see, our lawshave not kept pace with the improved tacticsof today's criminals.
i'm gonna do thisfor you. what's your idea? well, we have friendsin the press, right? we plant stories with them to ensure that the activitiesof suspected radicals see the light of day. they'll trace it. well,only if it's true. see, it's calledcounterintelligence, clyde.
the more untrue the story,the more dramatic the impact. now, i'm going to sendthe hotel recording along with a personal letter the day before he getsthe nobel prize. and if he acceptsthe award, we'll send the tapestraight to the press. are you surethat you want to be involved with that kind ofsurveillance? well, that's why the letterwon't be from me.
it'll be a fictitious letterfrom one of his own. then there can beno room for error. i-i-i'm not surethat we could ensu-- i cannot understandwhat you're saying, clyde. please. come on now.learn to speak up. now, listen, i'm gonna need youin the office tomorrow. no time to relent. i-i can't.
yes, you can. now eat. you'd thinkafter all this time she'd be able to cookmy egg correctly. what exactlyare in these shots? oh, it's just vitamins,a little extra pick-me-up. hoover:"look into your heart. "you knowyou are a complete fraud and a great liabilityto all of us negroes."
i said "us," miss gandy,us, not "the." you're a negro now, sir? write every word as i say it,is that understood? now, "white peoplein this country "have enough fraudsof their own, "but i am sure they do not haveone at this time "that is anywhere nearyour equal. i repeat --" sir, what isthis exercise?
miss gandy, i am not going toentertain questions during my dictation,now write. "i repeat,you are a colossal fraud "and an evil, vicious one,at that. "you do not believe in god. clearly you do not believe inany personal moral principles." sir, may i ask who this letterwill be addressed to? the question is not to whom,miss gandy, not to whom, but from whom
and it is not from this office,is that understood? "you have turned outto be not a leader, "but a dissolute, abnormal,moral imbecile. "there's only one thingleft for you to do andyou know what that is. "there's but one way outfor you, and you better take it "before your filthy,abnormal, fraudulent self is bared to this nation." did you get everything,miss gandy? type it up.
i understand that you workfor our pr department, is that correct? for two years now, sir. then you are familiarwith my earlier work against edward clarke andhis ku klux klan, are you not? yes, sir.he was arrested for a violationof the white slave traffic act, for crossing state lines to have an extramarital affairwith a white woman.
is that correct, sir? that is correct. it was the strongest lawat my disposal at the time. i'll have you know thati'm very proud of that work. miss gandy told me that you stopped withbruno hauptmann's arrest. would you like tostart there? yes, yes,i think we shall. hoover: mr. hauptmann was brought to trial
on january 2, 1935. man:h.l. mencken called this the biggest storysince the resurrection. from the looks of things,this may be bigger. you see, no two sawsmake the same markings. this saw from bruno hauptmann'stool chest makes markings identicalto those found on the ladder used in the crime. osborne:in both the ransom note
and mr. hauptmann'spersonal writings, he wrote the word "anyding"for anything, "gut" for "good," "boad" for "boat," and notice the invertedcapital n's. and the y'sthat look like j's. wilentz: mr. lindbergh, you said you heard a voice in the cemetery that night. yes, very clearly.
a voice coming fromthe cemetery, to the best of my belief, calling dr. condonin a foreign accent. "hey, doctor." since that time,have you heard the same voice? yes, i have. whose voice was it, colonel, that you heard in the cemetery that night, saying, "hey, doctor"?
that washauptmann's voice. but did he act alone? he never confessed,but what sociopath ever does? the evidence was clear. he was indicted for murderin the first degree while perpetrating a burglary. in new jersey,that is punishable by death. mr. hauptmann, you've had an opportunity in this courtroom today to tell the whole truth.
have you told the truth? i told the truth already. and the statements you madeto district attorney foley. did you tell himthe whole truth? to a certain extent. to a certain extentyou didn't tell him the truth. is that right? this board that was found in your closet, s-204, has these numbers written on it.
it's a little blurred now, isn't it? looks like it. between those numbersare some words. it looks like decaturand sedgwick. you see that? you know what that means,don't you? that address on there? not exactly. it is the address andtelephone number of dr. condon,
the manwho paid the ransom, written in your writing,found on a board in your closet. miss gandy: mr. hoover,the doctor's here to see you. announcer: following dr. king's historic speech, many said that day brought about a new awakening in the conscience of the nation. others called it a national disgrace. in the long history of man's cruelty to man, this was a day of hope.
dr. king: i have a dream that one day... woman: yes! ...this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creeds. hoover:a man's legacy is determined by where the story ends,agent owens. let's think about thattonight and make a decision tomorrow,shall we?
is this abouta man's legacy? or an institution'sreputation? the two are connected,agent owens. one invented the otherand vice versa. good day to you. we the jury find the defendant,bruno richard hauptmann, guilty of murderin the first degree. [ gavel banging ] your honor,i ask for immediate sentencing.
according to the lawof this state, i rule that mr. bruno hauptmannsuffer death at the time and place and in the mannerprovided by law. it's death for hauptmann! [ cheers and applause ] hoover:the trial of the century, the criminal shamed, the fbi cementedas the public hero.
that's our,that's our ending, agent. but did he do it alone? is he the one who actually tookthe child from the crib? how can you be sure? well, the mountain of evidencewe discovered, uncovered, confirmed,and clarified, you cannot dispute it. clarence darrow did. [ chuckling ]of course.
of course, agent owens.that's what he does. and mrs. roosevelt issueda public statement questioning his guilt. well, she has enough to hideon her own when it comesto un-american activities. well, if you're comfortablewith it as an ending, i'll do my best with it. yes, i am. watch this with me.
he received my letterand the audio tape last night. announcer: president johnson affixes his signature using more than 100 pens. one of the coveted souvenirs goes to the nobel prize-winner, martin luther king, a dedicated leader. go on, say it, clyde. it just seems so risky,edgar, over a couplenegative articles.
he's deliberately surroundedhimself with communists, and, with the powerhe's gathering, he's now our greatestdomestic threat. on behalf of the nobel committee, we hand over to you the insignia... he's going to declinethe award, clyde. he knows what we havecan ruin him. ...of the nobel peace prize, the diploma and the gold medal.
[ applause ] there's no question about it. he's done. i accept the nobel prize for peace at a moment when 22 million negroes of the united states are enga-- miss gandy:sorry to interrupt, sir. your next appointmentis here. [ panting ]the doctor first, miss gandy.
yes, of course. send him inin a few minutes. stay strong, edgar. you stay strong, edgar. stay strong.[ grunts ] [ beads clatter ] announcer: the parade as it makes its way to the capitol building for the inauguration. [ marching band playing "stars and stripes forever" ]
you can see the roosevelt high marching band leading the way. the motorcade is making progress down pennsylvania avenue, carrying our 37th president. richard milhous nixon waves to the crowd. yep, there's the president and his wife, pat, happily waving. hoover: when morals decline
and good men do nothing, evil flourishes. every citizen has a duty to learn of this that threatens his home, his children. a society uninterested and unwilling to learn from the past is doomed. [ gunshot ] we must never forgetour history.
[ music continues ] we must never lower our guard. even today, there are organizations that have america as their prime target. they would destroy the safety and the happiness of every individual and thrust us into a condition of lawlessness and immorality that passes the imagination. the president will see you now,mr. hoover.
president nixon:edgar, come in. [ hoover crying ] oh, i, i am so sorry,mr. hoover. you weren't answeringyour telephone. you had a photo sessionwith a retiring agent. he's leaving now. where's clyde? it's a bad dayfor him, sir. will you, will you schedulea dinner for us, please,
in our old corner booth? i'm afraidhe's too tired today, sir. perhaps you'd like to dineat his house? i think he'd like that. yes, thank you,miss gandy. helen? do i killeverything that i love? he's not gone yet,edgar. and everythingthat we've built?
the bureau is strongerthan just you and me now. your child is sureand keeps this country safe. helen, if any... if anythingever happens to me, i need you to do somethingfor me, do you understand? nixon, he's,he's gonna come for it all. he'll... he'll crucify meand my bureau. i'm afraidof what will happen if i'm,
if i'm not here to protect it,miss gandy. your private files, sir? then no onewill ever find them. thank you, helen. no matter what kind of pressurethey put on? no matter how much? yes, edgar. no matterhow much pressure. i promise you.
well, did nixon askfor your resignation? no, he wanted to knowwhat we had in the files on him. and what did you say? i said,"what files, sir?" but he knows. he wants us to expandour wiretaps to include news reporters now,clyde. we can't do that,especially not now. that's the problem,clyde.
if i don't agree to dohis black bag jobs, he'll createhis own private force. oh, that's illegal. yes, well, he d--he didn't say it outright, but i saw it in his eyes. he won't be controlled,clyde. he's a menace who'll do anythingto hold on to power. right. i see. see, i never played his game,that's the problem.
and if to some what i didseemed like rule-bending, then perhaps they need tolook into their own souls and figure outwhat it is they did that made them feel blackmailedor, or intimidated. i wasn't thinking that. then what?what were you thinking? i was thinking it might be timefor us to retire. shut up, clyde. you built a great thing,edgar.
and if you stop now,you'll be celebrated. and that's what you'vealways wanted, isn't it? our country'slasting adoration? well, there's a chanceyou could have it. yes, and why wouldn't i, hm?why wouldn't i, clyde? i saved this country from,from a bolshevik invasion, rid this country of radicals,captured machine gun kelly, killed dillinger,captured karpis, convictedbruno hauptmann.
and now, now, what, with my,with my last breath when i try to help savethis country again, i'm rewarded with a,with a forced retirement? i will not go downto this man, and the factthat you suggest that makes me questionyour very loyalty. my loyalty, edgar? yes, your loyalty,clyde. i read your manuscript,edgar.
you didn't arrest karpis. and you knowas well as i do there was no white horsein the street, no, no gun inthe back seat. and you didn't killdillinger. agent purvis did. but you kept all the gloryfor yourself. and machine gun kellynever said, "don't shoot, g-men."
you made that up to sell comic books,edgar. and when we wentto the scene of the greatest crimeof the century, mr. lindbergh didn't come outand shake your hand and express his faithin the fbi. he called youa fussy little man, and he refusedto even meet you. and you didn't arresthauptmann.
agent sisk did. you weren't evenat the scene, edgar. only the photo. edgar, most of what you wroteis exaggeration, some of itblatant lies, and i don't even knowif you realize it anymore. edgar, you can lieto everyone else, the whole world, for your own sake,for the sake of the bureau...
but you cannotlie to me. i should've never given youyour job, clyde. you know that? you weren'teven qualified. you remember the day you came infor your interview? i do. you, you walked into my officeand [chuckles] you fixed my window, you picked up my,my handkerchief.
you handed it to me. you rememberwhy i was sweating, clyde? it's becauseyou were exercising. no, i was,i was sweating because i... i knewat that very moment... i knew at that very momentthat i... i needed you... and i've never needed anyoneelse in my entire life. not like that.
so,i began to perspire. i know. edgar, are you,are you all right? yes, yes, it's -- it's just indigestion,clyde. let's, let's go to dinnertomorrow night, shall we? our old corner booth. perhapsif i feel better. and you must --you must f--
we, we have a great many thingsto discuss. and now i, i can't, i can't trust anyone elseat the bureau right now. i can only depend on you. thank you, edgar. good night, clyde. good night, edgar. [ inhales deeply ] [ dogs barking ]
welcome home, mr. hoover. oh, thank you, annie. bozo, bozo, g-boy,come here. the very essence of our democracy is rooted in a belief in the worth of the individual. that life has meaning that transcends any man-made system, that love is the greatest force on earth, far more enduring than hatred
or the unnatural divisions of mankind. annie: this is anniefrom mr. hoover's residence. mr. hoover has passed. [ door locks ] yeah? sir? [ whispering indistinctly ] jesus christ. that old cocksucker.
i'll get a speech prepared.we should go on television. not yet. first seal off his office,change his locks, do whatever you have to do. i wantthose fucking files. oh, good. come in. just... he's, he's upstairs.
president nixon:ladies and gentlemen, it is with a profound senseof personal loss that i learned of the deathof j. edgar hoover. this truly remarkable man has served his countryfor 48 years, under eight presidents,as director of the fbi with unparalleled devotionand ability and dedication. for 25 years, from the timei came to washington as a freshman congressman,
he has been one of my closestpersonal friends and advisors. and every american,in my opinion, owes j. edgar hoovera great debt for building the fbi into the finestlaw enforcement organization in the entire world. i've ordered that all the flagsof the government buildings be flown at half mast but i will say that,in doing so, that edgar hoover,
because ofhis indomitable courage against sometimesvery vicious attack, has made certain that the flag of the fbiwill always fly high. the fbiis the eternal monument honoring this great american. funny how even the dearest face will fade away in time, but most clearly i remember your eyes
with a sort of teasing smile in them, and the feeling of that soft spot just northeast of the corner of your mouth.
